The scene was filled with silence as Minji and Hanni arrived, breathless and panicked. The sight before them made Minji's heart seize painfully in her chest. Y/n lay slumped against the tree, her neck scarred and bruised, her breathing shallow. Minji's vision blurred as her mind spun with dread. She wanted to scream, to force her lungs to work, but it was like her whole body had shut down, suspended in sheer terror. This wasn't the fearless Y/n she'd come to rely on. This Y/n looked fragile, broken.
A choked sound escaped her, half strangled as Minji stumbled forward, her hands trembling. She couldn't move fast enough. The overwhelming fear of losing Y/n, pressed on her with a force she hadn't felt before. It was as if a part of herself was lying there, bruised and beaten.
Beside her, Hanni's fists clenched as her gaze shot toward the hooded figure. A tear rolled down her cheek, but her expression hardened, anger blazing through her worry. Every instinct screamed to charge forward, to protect Y/n from this shadowed figure who had left her in this state. But when Hanni's eyes met the figure, she froze in surprise.
"Hanni..." the figure murmured, her voice rough, carrying an emotion that none of them expected. For a moment, the figure's posture shifted, shoulders relaxing, as though the sight of Hanni brought up memories. Her voice trembled slightly, and her hands clenched at her sides.
"How... how do you know me?" Hanni's voice was edged with defiance but softened caused by the confusion.
The figure's gaze stayed on her, before shifting back to Y/n. Both Minji and Hanni only cared about Y/n. It was as though their entire world had faded to focus solely on Y/n lying wounded and unconscious against the tree. Without a word, she took a final, unreadable glance at Y/n before abruptly turning away.
Minji gasped for air, feeling the world come rushing back. She moved as quickly as she could toward Y/n, dropping to her knees beside her, hands hovering, unsure of where to even start. Hanni knelt beside her, eyes flashing with an anger as she looked back toward where the figure had disappeared.
"Y/n..." Minji whispered, voice shaking as she brushed a strand of hair from Y/n's face. Her fingers traced the edges of the burn mark on Y/n's neck, still searing hot to the touch.
-
Minji ran as fast as her legs could carry her, Y/n's limp form on her back feeling heavier with every step. She couldn't shake the haunting memory of their last journey like this, Y/n half-asleep, joking and lighthearted. But tonight, every footfall echoed with a silent plea for Y/n to hold on. The trees blurred past them as they sprinted through the forest, Hanni running close beside them.
When they reached the house, Minji paused, catching her breath as she scanned the quiet space. They couldn't let the others see Y/n like this, not with the bruises, the blood. Carefully, they slipped inside, making their way up to Y/n's room in silence.
Together, they lowered Y/n onto her bed, and Minji's hands hovered over her, her heart racing. She pressed her palms to Y/n's chest, starting a faint glow of healing magic. Her focus narrowed, the light deepening as it seeped into Y/n's skin, seeking out the worst of her injuries. She'd used her healing magic countless times before, but the stakes had never felt like this. Not with Y/n's life lying fragile in her hands.
Meanwhile, Hanni moved with gentle precision, cleaning and dressing the cuts that marred Y/n's face and arms, careful to avoid leaving scars. Her fingers trembled as she wiped a deep cut along Y/n's temple. She glanced over at Minji, noting the furrow in her brow. She'd never seen Minji so scared, so vulnerable.
Minji's voice broke the silence, barely a whisper. "Please, Y/n...please."
"Minji, it's okay. She's here. Calm down. We're doing everything we can." Hanni's gaze softened as she reached out, brushing Y/n's hair back.
They worked in silence, focused on bringing Y/n back from the edge. Minji managed to stabilize Y/n's condition with healing magic, she took a moment to examine the worst of Y/n's injuries. Her eyes now focused on the deep burn scorched into Y/n's neck, a wound clearly meant to leave a lasting mark. Minji swallowed hard, summoning a more concentrated magic as she hovered her hands over the burn.
Soft, golden light emitted from her palms, illuminating the charred and reddened skin beneath. Minji moved slowly, focusing intently to ease the searing pain that must have lingered there. Her fingers hovered just above the wound, gently coaxing the flesh to knit itself back together, coaxing the layers of Y/n's skin to return to their natural state. But the burn was deep, and every bit of healing magic she applied seemed to be met with resistance, the scar tissue stubbornly clinging.
Hanni was quick to notice the difficulty. She placed a hand on Minji's shoulder, offering her a calm, supportive look before reaching into the bedside drawer for some salve they had prepared from medicinal herbs. The ointment was meant for severe wounds, with cooling properties to ease the pain.
As Minji rested her hands, drained from her healing efforts, Hanni gently spread the cool, pale-blue salve over Y/n's neck with her fingertips. She worked carefully, the balm soothing against the inflamed, blistered edges of the burn, doing her best to cover the wound without causing further irritation. She applied layer after thin layer.
"She'll still need a lot of healing," Minji murmured, her voice thick with worry as she looked at Y/n's face, the pain etched even into her unconscious expression.
Hanni nodded, her gaze steady, though her fingers trembled as she bandaged Y/n's neck. She took extra care to wrap it gently yet firmly, protecting the damaged skin while allowing Minji's healing to seep deeper over time. "We'll keep applying the salve and keep it clean. She's strong, Minji... She'll recover."
Once the dressing was in place, they took in the sight of their exhausted friend, now lying peaceful but still pale as a ghost. The edges of the bandage showed faint traces of the burn beneath, but at least Y/n was resting, and the heat had subsided.
Minji leaned down and whispered, "Hang in there, Y/n."
Finally, a faint stirring, a weak pressure against Hanni's hand. Y/n's eyes fluttered open, her gaze hazy and unfocused. Her lips moved, and Minji leaned closer, catching a faint whisper.
"Is...is the necklace okay?"
Hanni immediately reached to check it, finding the delicate chain slightly scorched but intact. She exchanged a glance with Minji before smiling reassuringly at Y/n. "It's totally fine, Y/n. It's still here with you."
Relief washed over Y/n's face, a soft smile tugging at her lips. "Thank...you..." Her voice faded, her eyelids slipping closed as she drifted back into unconsciousness.
With Y/n safe, Minji and Hanni let out a shaky breath, feeling the tension lift just a little. For the first time since the fight, they allowed themselves to truly believe Y/n would be alright.
-
A week had passed since then, Minji took it upon herself to represent Y/n during the Elites' meetings, relaying details and updates back to her. She wanted Y/n to feel connected to the mission, but Y/n's responses had grown shorter, her focus seemingly elsewhere. Every spare moment, she was out in the field, training tirelessly. Her wounds had healed outwardly, but something in her seemed broken.
Dani, noticing Y/n's silence, approached her one afternoon. Standing quietly at the edge of the training field, Dani offered Y/n an ear if she wanted to talk. But Y/n only gave a short nod, her gaze distant. As Dani turned to go back inside, Y/n's voice came, quiet yet weighted. "I'm sorry... for worrying everyone."
Dani looked back at her, "It's okay. You're doing well with your recovery, Y/n."
But as soon as Dani was gone, Y/n returned to her practice with a sense of desperation, clutching a small stone in her hand and channeling her flame through her fingertips. She watched the flickering fire, no longer the hot, bright red it once was, but a pale, uncertain yellow. It danced weakly over the stone, consuming it faster than before, as if trying to devour whatever lay in its path in a single breath.
Y/n's hand trembled as she watched the yellow flame sputter out, hadn't melted the stone fully. Her thoughts drifted to the words the hooded figure had left her with, about her flame not burning hot enough, about it needing to be more, to do more. She wanted it to be, yet every attempt left her feeling drained, as if the fire was no longer hers.
Her fingers brushed over the bandage at her neck, the memory of that burning sensation making her stomach twist. The throbbing ache reminded her of how close she'd come to being taken down, and the frustration grew within her. She clenched her hand around the stone until her knuckles whitened, a helplessness rising that she couldn't seem to shake. Tears pricked at her eyes, but she bit her lip, forcing herself to stay steady.
Why did it feel like she was getting weaker when she needed to be stronger?